Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for “The Exorcist: Martyrs,” offering horror fans a dark first look at writer-director Mike Flanagan’s fresh take on the iconic franchise.
The supernatural crime thriller stars Scarlett Johansson as Julie Miller, a New York City detective haunted by her past. Thirteen years after ending the reign of terror of satanic serial killer Father Sunday, Miller is pulled back into the nightmare when a new killer scrawls her name in an altar boy’s blood inside a church crypt.
Joined by Father William (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a former prison chaplain who heard Father Sunday’s final confession, and sharp rookie detective Gina Restrepo (Sasha Calle), Miller uncovers a sinister thread connecting historical serial killers from H.H. Holmes to the Zodiac. The investigation unearths a corrupting, immortal evil that threatens to consume everyone she loves.
The high-profile ensemble cast includes John Leguizamo in a villainous turn as Father Sunday, alongside Diane Lane as Miller’s mother, Jacobi Jupe as her son, Laurence Fishburne as Father Nichol, Scoot McNairy as paroled convict Clay Silver, and Gil Bellows as a former acolyte of Father Sunday.
Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House”) wrote and directed the film, which builds on characters originally created by William Peter Blatty. “The Exorcist: Martyrs” is produced by David Robinson, Jason Blum, and Flanagan, with Alexandra Magistro and Ryan Turek serving as executive producers.
